Chapter 7 : The dragon took revenge on his enemy severely

Richard stumbled, nearly toppling over, as Dragon’s feet clamped tightly onto his head.

For a dizzying moment, he steadied himself.

Aurina, though diminutive, possessed a strength far greater than he’d ever imagined.

He straightened up, voice sharp.

“Get down, now!”

“No way!”

Aurina declared, one foot pressing on his head, the other on his shoulder.

Onlookers gawked, their stares a mix of shock and awe.

Undoubtedly, this was reverence for a true dragon’s presence.

Aurina tilted her chin proudly, commanding, “Gah! March faster, pack beast!”

“Get down! I won’t say it again.”

Aurina’s soft soles tightened on his scalp.

“Listen to your true dragon, silly.”

Suddenly, the ground vanished beneath her feet, rushing up to meet her.

Flailing, she landed in Richard’s arms.

“What a naughty child,” a freckled woman at the doorway remarked.

“Time for a spanking, I’d say.”

Aurina gasped, scrambling out of Richard’s hold, hands shielding her precious little dignity.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Three sharp raps rang out on her skull.

Aurina clutched her head, tears welling up.

Was her girlish disguise useless?

Then why bother wearing it at all?

Richard crouched, back to her.

“No more stepping on my head.”

“I’m just a little girl,”

Aurina muttered, casting a spell.

A smile bloomed anew on her face.

Gah-gah-gah!

Her magic never failed, did it?

Beaming, Aurina perched on Richard’s shoulders as they ventured down the bustling street.

More heads turned, eyes lifted in wonder.

What did this prove?

That her enslavement of her enemy had reached new heights!

Aurina couldn’t suppress her triumphant gah-gah-gah laughter, the earlier setback forgotten.

Passersby stared—some in awe, others with odd glances at her “pack beast.”

Be shocked, be stunned, gape in disbelief!

Who’d have thought the mightiest of insects would be reduced to a lowly mount?

Aurina’s glee surged.

In less than half a day since her rebirth, she’d tamed Richard—the very foe who’d slain her—into her beast of burden.

Ecstatic, she threw back her head.

“Gah-gah-gah-gah!”

A spark of flame erupted from her upturned mouth, flashing between shark-like teeth.

A gray horse reared in fright, hooves slashing the air.

Its rider screamed, yanking the reins, which only worsened the beast’s panic.

The horse charged into the crowd, people shouting to clear the way.

The rider teetered, about to fall.

Richard sprang into action, moving with a speed that blurred to the eye, racing to the horse’s side.

Aurina, astride his head, pitched backward.

“I’m falling!” she yelped, arms windmilling.

Instinctively, she clamped her legs around Richard’s head, then crossed her calves to lock his neck in a vise.

Richard seized the bridle, brute strength hauling the horse to a halt.

The shaken rider doffed his hat.

“Thank you, you… oh, sorry, for making you and your sister…”

Embarrassed, he waved his hat and hurried off.

Aurina propped an elbow on Richard’s head, tapping his crown with her other hand.

“Hey, bug, you almost—”

“Can you loosen your legs now?”

His voice rumbled below, warm breath brushing her calves.

Aurina glanced down, spotting Richard’s ears glowing crimson, his neck flushed red.

Anger, no doubt—realizing he shared a kinship with that spooked horse.

Grinning, Aurina tightened her crossed legs.

“Nope, feels steady. Smell my stinky feet, bug!”

The crowd buzzed with whispers.

Aurina reveled in their shock—how the mightiest insect suffered such indignity.

Her tail flicked up in excitement.

Then, a surge of strength pried her legs apart.

“I’m a little girl, you know!”

No use.

Grumbling, Aurina was forcibly lifted down.

Furious, she raised her claws at Richard, baring her shark teeth.

The crowd murmured, “No shoes, even.”

“Standing on such filthy ground.”

“What an irresponsible brother.”

Aurina seized on that.

“Yes, yes, irresponsible pack beast!”

Richard donned his visored helm, lowered the faceplate, and crouched with his back to her.

Aurina hopped onto his shoulders.

“That’s more like it. Do that again, and I’ll eat you.”

“No more ‘pack beast,’” Richard said.

“Respect those who help you.”

Aurina stuck out her pink tongue, waggling it.

“Bug, bug, bug!”

A long sigh echoed from the iron helm.

“Haa…”

Aurina took it as surrender, her draconic dignity upheld.

She lifted her chin, basking in the street’s admiring gazes.

Back at the inn, the cramped room irked Aurina. She pouted.

“Bugs live in such tiny nests.”

Richard sat at the table.

“It’s a house, rented temporarily.”

“If it’s temporary, there must be a huge nest somewhere, right?”

“I didn’t rent one.”

Aurina scanned the room.

Tsk, so small.

One claw-scrape in her dragon lair was bigger than this.

“You must be dirt-poor, strongest bug.”

“I’m not the strongest.”

“Nonsense! You killed Obus, you’re the strongest.”

Aurina’s eyes fell on Richard counting coins, curiosity drawing her closer.

A heap of copper, a small pile of silver, and a few measly gold coins—worn ones, worth even less.

So paltry she wouldn’t glance at them if she found them lying around.

Yet Richard, the fool, counted each one.

Aurina sized it up instantly.

“Twenty-six gold, one silver, twenty-six copper. That’s all your money?”

“Yes,” Richard said.

“Poverty is Tyr’s test and blessing.”

“So poor,” Aurina scoffed.

“You killed Obus, how are you broke? Did he burn himself and his riches before dying?”

“He did,” Richard confirmed.

“And triggered a dung pit explosion, killing the princess.”

Aurina twisted the knife.

“Still, Obus’s hoard in his lair could’ve drowned bugs like you, no?”

“True,” Richard said.

“But with the princess dead, I took full blame. Turns out, the emperor’s contract had a few extra zeros in the reparations clause.”

Aurina’s lips curled.

“And? Spill it, quick!”

“I gave my share of the hoard to refugees,” Richard said.

“Now I owe the Yan Empire fifty thousand gold.”

“Gah-gah-gah-gah!”

Aurina clutched her mouth, laughing, pointing at him.

“Bug! So kind, so stupid, no wonder you’re so poor!”

“This is my fourth warning—stop insulting my faith. Apologize now, or—”

“Gah-gah!”

Aurina kept pointing.

“Poor, dumb bug.”

Richard’s hand shot out.

Aurina dodged nimbly, leaping back, then bolted.

Richard stood, blocking the window before pursuing.

Aurina darted for the door but opening it would take too long.

She sprang onto the door, legs bracing, and launched herself at the ceiling.

Under Richard’s stunned gaze, she scuttled across it, then dove for the open window.

Headfirst, no less.

“Careful!” Richard shouted.

“Fool!”

Aurina twisted midair, sticking out her tongue.

Agile as a cat, she landed on the windowsill, leaping out with a taunt.

“Poor, dumb bug, but nice! Gah-gah-gah!”

She forgot her tail.

Richard’s hand snatched its tip, yanking her back.

Aurina yelped, “Gah!”

Tugged onto the bed, she rolled, seeing Richard shut the window.

“Hard to believe you’re so nimble in a dress. Tail hurt?”

“Gah? Think I’m some frail bug?”

“Good, then.”

Richard advanced, knuckles crackling with menace.

Was it… the Holy Slash?

Aurina’s heart raced.

A thwack bloomed on her forehead, a buzz rattling her skull.

Then a second, third, fourth.

She tried to flee, clutching her head, but Richard hauled her back for more.

“Stop! Stop! You’ll make the kid stupid!”

“You can request the next punishment be a spanking instead.”

“No!”

Her hands flew from head to rear.

Finished, Richard stepped off the bed.

“I hope there’s no next time. Understand verbal warnings, got it?”

Aurina bit her lip, glaring, itching to pounce and bite. Her head throbbed.

She nodded reluctantly.

Richard turned to the table.

Aurina bared her teeth at his back, snapping air, miming crushing him.

It eased her a bit.

Her stomach growled.

“Grr…”

Clutching her belly, she said, “Richard, I’m hungry. I want meat.”

“Good timing. I’ll teach you to eat properly.”

Richard swept the coins into a pouch, sternly adding, “Never eat others’ property—or people. Understand?”

Aurina eyed his pitiful coins, a vengeful plan forming.

She could ruin him without a single blow.

“Got it,” she nodded eagerly.

Richard, oblivious to the storm brewing, led her to the noisy inn hall below.

“Same as yesterday for me, thanks. For her…” Richard paused.

“Same portion.”

“She eats as much as you? She’s just a kid.”

“She’s a dragon.”

Two roast partridges, a cup of well water, three pounds of black bread, a bowl of oatmeal, and a bowl of bean soup—Richard’s dinner.

He’d barely swallowed half a bread slice with water when he looked up.

Half the table was empty.

Aurina, standing on her chair, cheeks stuffed, pointed at his partridges, chewing.

“Can I have those? Hungry little girl here.”

Richard nodded, and the partridges vanished, followed by two bread loaves.

By the time he opened his mouth, the licked-clean oatmeal bowl spun before him.

Aurina slurped the bean soup, patting her still-grumbling belly.

“Still hungry.”

“Another dinner, please.”

At first, the kitchen took it in stride—business was slow.

But as the barkeep relayed order after order, the staff scrambled.

The barkeep urged, “Faster! It’s a VIP with a dragon!”

The owner joined the fray.

Dishes flew out, empty plates returned.

The kitchen buckled, slaughtering tomorrow’s pig, planning to use a quarter for meat and salt the rest.

The pig was gutted, cleaned, and slapped on the table.

Aurina, drawn by the blood’s tang, spotted it lying there, unattended.

Her mouth opened, and the whole pig disappeared.

“Ah!”

A chef’s knife clattered to the floor.

Bugs, always so dramatic.

Aurina chewed, a pig’s hoof peeking from her mouth, sinking as she munched.

Sated, she patted her belly and told Richard outside, “Full now. Sleeping.”

She sauntered upstairs.

The chef regained his voice.

“Did you see? She ate an entire pig!”

Half an hour later, under dim candlelight, Richard tallied the bill.

One raw pig: one gold coin.

Ten roast beasts: twenty-five coppers…

The meal alone cost nearly two gold.

Optimistically, two gold, five silver daily—maybe three, scrimping elsewhere.

She couldn’t starve; a hungry child wouldn’t shed her wicked nature.

Richard calculated.

His funds would last eight days at most.

He sighed deeply.

Noticing the candle’s flicker, he pinched it out—every bit saved helped.

“Gah-gah…”

A dragon’s laugh?

Richard spun, but Aurina was curled up on his bed, fast asleep, defenseless.

His sky-blue cloak draped her slight frame like a blanket.

Moonlight kissed her cherubic face.

In that moment, she wasn’t a vile red dragon but an angel fallen from the stars.

Richard turned away, shaking off the illusion, pondering how to earn enough to sustain her.

Aurina cracked one golden eye, smirking.

She’d feasted, gutting Richard’s meager purse.

Her belly bulged—a day’s worth in one meal.

If only she weren’t so scrawny now; she’d have eaten him into ruin.

Aurina rolled over, back to him, slipping out her tiny purse—the change from Richard’s clothing purchase.

She spilled copper coins, placing them carefully on the bed.

Lowly coppers, yet permitted to uphold her noble form.

She feared Richard might snatch her first gold.

Holding her breath, she arranged the coins into a sheet.

Her soft frame eased onto them, eyes closing, feeling the coins beneath.

She drifted into dreams of gold mountains and gem heaps, a blissful smile curving her lips.

That night, Richard, ousted from his bed, curled up in his sleeping bag on the floor.